Apparatus and system for measuring telephone service.



s. H. BROWNE.

APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING TELEPHONE SERVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1905.

Patented Oct. 26

ease-s).

UNKEED STATES PQCFEN T OFFICE,

SIDNEY IH'AND BROWNE OF EITTSBURG; PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNQE TO ANYBRLCAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAFH COlVIT-PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW" YORK.

A ARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING TELEPHONE SERVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. es, min

Application filed January 17, 1955. Serial N01 241,563.

, phone, Service, of which the following is a -specification.

, My invention pertains to mechanisms for,

measuring telephone service, or for countlng telephone calls, in connection with lines 'which are equipped in whole or in part with au'zomatic circuit changing devices.

111 patent application Serial No. 222,645, filed byme Augusti29, 1904, there is disclosed a system for telephone exchanges wherein each telephone line has an automatic switch and multiple jacks, the jacks being used in the completion of calls to that telephone line, and the automatic switch being used in the completion of calls from that telephone line, it being the duty of said automatic switch to select ;an idle trunk whenever said line originates a telephone call, to hold said 'trunlg during the ensuing connection, to disconnect automatically at the end of the connection, and at all other times to remain in its position of rest. Many other systems of switching circuits automatically are well known in the present practice of telephony, most of which use a. selecting device pertaining individually to each line.

lVIy invention provides a means for counting and recording with reasonable accuracy the total number of successful connections resulting from calls oiginating upon any one telephone line "haying an automatic switch as a portion of its equipment. The particular telephone line equipment comprising as a part thereof an automatic switch) shown in the accompanying drawing and described in this specification, is of the same type as illustrated and described in my patent application abovenientioned; my improved counting and recording means may of "'e be used in conjunction with other typ' f equipment.

In the drawingsbFigui-e 1 shows the sys tem of automatic switching disclosed in the patent application above referred to, with service meter added in accordance with my present im ention; Fig. 2 shows a mechan- ,ical detail of the meter. In Fig. l, telephone-lines 1 are ductors 21, 22, 23. 24, 25.

E equipped with substation telephones 3 and 4 respectively; telephone line 2 has multiple jacks and a complete automatic switch equlpment partly indi nted at 6; telephone linel hasmultiple jacks '7, and a complete automatic switch equipment and meter, shown diagrammatically 111 detail. 8 is an automatic switch consisting of a fixed part 'and a rotary part; the rotary part carries moving c0ntacts,-or wipers, shown connected with conductors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, is attached rigidly to ratchet wheel 9, and is always under tension of spring 10 which returns it to its'position of rest'and holds-it there at all times except when controlled bypawls 11 70 and 12:-magnet 13 actuates pawl- 11 to advance ratchet- 9 one step for each such actuation; pawl 12 holds ratchet 9 in the position determined by the actuation of pawl 11; magnet 14 removes both pawls 11 and 12 from control of ratchet 9 and spring 10 then returns the rotary part of the switch to its position of rest. Pin 15 is attached to ratchet 9 and when the rotary part of the switch is in its position of rest,pin 15 holds so contact spring 17 away from contact point 16, but at the first step of ratchet 9 pinfi? permits the contact pair l(5-1T to close. said contactpair then remaining closed until the release. and restoration of the rotary part. 8.5 T lie fixed part of switch Scarries a plurality of sets of waiting contacts, such as the two sets shown opposite the set of wipers and connected to conductors 31, 32, 33, 2-34, 35,- and 41, 42, 43,- 44, 45; these sets of contacts so are adapted to he successively engaged by the set of wipers forming terminals of con- I -.\Vhei1 the rotary part of said switch is at rest, the wipers cou nected with conductors 21, 2:2. 23, 24. 25 '95 are out ofcontac as shown, but at theiirsi vided, each such waiting-contact-set'being105 fully equipped as shown in connection with waiting-contact set 33, 34, All other parts ofFig. 1, excepting'thedneter 500, are represented by symbols, readilv recgnized. ."1 1 0 ductors 21, 22, 23, 24, with 31, 33, 34,

Disregarding for the presentfthe meter 100', the operation of the system is as follows: To make a call, substation 3 removes receiver from hook, closing the circuit of the substation telephone, giving path for current.

from battery 67, through relays 18 and 19,

'lineand substation telephone, to ground 20 energization of relay 18 gives path for cur-, rent through magnet 13 andinterrupter 26;

the.closure of this circuit at 26 results in the energization'of magnet 13;contact of conimmediately follows, giving path for cur- .rent from battery 67 through relays 27and 16- 24,;conductor 34, armature 56, conductor 85, contact oint 30, armature 29 and wlndmg 28 as follows: battery 67, relay 27, conductor 36 of re ay 28 to the other pole of the ba ttery. TlllS current energizes relay 27 to interrupt the circuit of magnet 13 to prevent the' wipers from stepping farther and also energizes'relay 2.8 to 'close its contacts.3839 and 29-40, but contact 293O is mechanically such that its break is delayed until current also passes-through winding 37 of the relay; the attraction of armature 38 of relay'28 gives path for current from the nongrounded pole of battery 67 to armature 38, contact 39 through conductors 33and 23 to relay 46 and ground, thereby. energizing relay 46, which by attracting its armatures breaks the circuit of relay 18. and places the two limbs of the line 1 uponconductors 21 and 22, giving path for current from battery 67 through elements 47, 32, 22, 1, 3, 1, 21, 31,

- relay 47 back to'battery 67 by armature 48 I '56 by a talking circuit established by operating key 53; this circuit is as follows: from the lower contact of key 53, to conductor 32, conductor 22 to one l1neconductor- 1,

through substation telephone 3 to the other line--conductor 1, to conductors '21, 31, to the-upper contact of key 53, through the central operators telephone-to the lower contact of thekey, The central operator takes fthe order of the calling subscriber, tests a jack, as 5,0f the line called for and'ins'erts a plug 51 in the jack, giving path for; current- "jirom battery: 67 through relay's' 54: and,6,;

armature 55isattracted and opens circui trtof lamp 50,: and armature "56. is attracted and =closes circuitoflar'np 57,'cai1sin-g..1lainp 57 to glow as fa-2 signal to the operator that the called party is not at his telephone. The circuit through lamp 57 is as follows: from one pole of battery 67 toarmature 56, lamp 57, armature of relay 59 back to the other pole of the battery. The operator now rings the called station by means of the ringing key 58 and the ai'iswering of thecalledstation and consequent closure of the circuit through the substation telephone gives a path for current from battery 67 through elements 59, 2, 4, 2, relay 60 to ground; energization of relay 59 opens the circuit of lamp 57, indicating to the operator that the called station has answered. The two subscribers are now connected tor conversation over a metallic circuit between the sides ct which battery 67 is bridged; this circuit extends from telephone at substation 3, by left hand conductor ot line 1 to conductor 22, conductor including a condenser,

sleeve contacts of plug 51 and jack 5, lefthand conductor of line 2 teleplmne at substation 4, right-hand conductor of line 2, tip contacts ofjack 5 and plug 51, conductor 31 including a condenser, conductor 21 to righthand conductor oil line 1, to the telephone at substation 3. Battery 67 is bridgedbetween the sides of this circuit by connections leading from oint 200 through the left-hand winding 0' rela-y'47 to one pole of the battery, and from point 201 through the right.-

hand winding of relay 47 to the other pole of the battery. Both relay 59 and relay 66 will. remain energized so long as the tel ephone-at substation 4 is of? the hook.

Upon the completion of the conversation, hanging up of receiver andbrcaking of circuit through substation 4 will release relay 59 reestablishing the previously traced lighting circuit of lamp 57, thereby causing the latter to glow as a disconnect signal to the operator; hanging up of telephone and breaking of circuit through substation 3, will release relay 47 which, withrelay 54 remaining energized, will cause lamp 50 to glowalso as a disconnect signal to the operator. The circuit which thus causes lamp 50 to glow extends from one pole of the battery 67 through armature 49, back contactof said armature to front contact of armature armature 55, lamp 50 to the other 1 pole ol the battery. Upon disconnection of the plug 51 the releaseot' relay 54 will ex- I tinguish both lamps 50. and 57. Hanging up of receiver and breaking of circuit through substation 3 also releases relay 19 which thus gives path for current from battery 67 through magnet 14 and contact 17 1.6 back to battery venergization of magnet 14 releases the rotary part of the switch 8, by return of which contact 17 16 is opened and allparts are at rest, awaiting another call from line.

-: I If priorto-another calloriginatec by the line 1, a :call be completed for the line 1, the

' have existed from conductor 34 to ground ,asffdescribe'd, I addthe wiper connectedwith fthe conductor 25,.the waiting contacts con- "boththe rock arm 66 and thepawl 70; the.

,wheel 73 is shown with only four teeth or i and brings the spurs to the position'in automatic equipment from the line without disconnection relay 54 will remain energized. V

and therefore between conductor 34: and

ductor 35, including resistance 61, the'relay insertionof a plug in one of the jacks will energize relay 46 and remove all the having operated any part of it other than the-relay 16. If, when line lvhad called asabove, the trunk equipment associated with conductors 31, 32, 33, 34, 35had been in use by some other subscriber, no circuit would and circuit between conductors 34 and 85 ground, will be interrupted between the contact parts on the armature 56 of rela 54.

In connect-ion with equipment as a ove required in the normal operation of the circuit nected with conductors 35, 45, etc., the con- 60 mentioned above but not forming a necessary part of the invention in the patent application above referred to, and the meter 100.

In the meter 100, which is connected with the selective switch by the conductor25, the cam '65 is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 64 of the automatic switch 8; rock arm 66 has a fulcrmn at69 and carries at one end'the friction roller 68 adapted to engage the pe- 45.

riphery of cam and at the other the, pawl 70; the spring 71 returns to posltion fixed pin 72 serves as a guide to pawl 70. Star wheel 73, rigidly mounted. upon shaft 7-}, is adapted to turn the primary wheel of a counting or registering train of wheels of any. well known type, the details of the. counting train not being shown. The star spurs, and. with such a design a revolution of co degrees would be necessary to record one unit upon the counting train. By the first ni'pvement of the rotary part of the automatic switch 8, the cam 65 acts upqn the rockarm 66, moving it to a position whereby the pawl 70 advances the star wheel 73 a little less than one-half of its required step,

'tfion of the switch hook at substation telethe next succeedingspur of star wheel 7 3.

- mg lug,

' rest, Without having cated by the dotted lines 75, in which post tion the pawl 70 remainspntilphe'rdturn tofl normal of the automatic switch 8. Magnet 7 6 with armature 7 7 carrying pawl 7 8 held by spring 7 9 and guided by fixed pin is imposition/to engage a spur of the star .wheel 7 3 when that wheel is in t-heposition 7 indicated by the dotted linesfand upon the answering of the station upon the called line, with consequent"energization of relay 60 and the closing of its armature contact, as already explained, a circuit is formed giving path for current from battery 67 through 62, 63, 35, 61, waiting contact, wiper, 25 and winding of magnet 76 to ground, energizing said ma net, attracting its armature and by means of pawl 78 propelhug the star wheel 7K3 through the remainder of the step begun by pawl 70. In this position the star wheel 73 remains, regardless of action of armature 77 caused by the mophone 4,-since pawl 78' by reason of pin 80 cannot swing towtheright'a distance Suflicientto engage the next succeeding spur of the star wheel. Upon discontinuance of the conversation and consequent return of the no automatic switch 8.to its position of rest, the

cam 65 permits rock arm 66 and pawl 70 to return to their position of rest, by which pawl 70 is brought into position to engage In Fig 2 is shown a detail of spring tension conditions upon the shaft -74 bearing the star wheel 75; the cam 81 has projecting lugs equal in number to the spurs of the star wheel, and similarly spaced, angularly.

' The spring 83, with friction roller 82, bears upon the periphery of the cam wheel 81, and tends to hold the shaft 74 from turning when the friction roller 82 is in the depression betweeii-two of the lugs; it tends to return the shaft when the shaft has "been advanced by so small an angle that the friction roller has not passed the apex of the next succeedand propels the shaft forward to its next position of rest after thea-pex of any lug has been passed. The action of this 'camgtindtension spring as applied to the ac-.-

tion ofthe meter 100 is as follows: By the preliminary action of pawl 70, the star wheel is advanced from its osition of rest,

but not so far that tllEfIlCtlOIl roller 82 reaches the apexv of a lug of the cam wheel '81; therefore, if by reason of failure of the ca-lledline to energize the relay 60, the circuit is not closed to energize the magnet 76, 12 and the shaft 74' is not advanced furtherby pawl 78, then upon the disconnection of the automatic switch and the return to its position of rest of the pawl 70, the "spring 83 and f iction roller 82 will cause the shaft 74. and t e star Wheel'73 to return to position of in any wayregistered the unsuccessful call. In present common ,batte1-y telephone pgfaot-ice, it is customary to work the switch 13.

' swr-rll hook will delinergize magnet 19, in

hook to attract the attention of the operator for another call, and such operation of the the way as when the receiver is hung upon its hook; magnet 19 thereupon releases its armature which closes clrcuit through 'magnet i l, releasing switch 8 and disco n.

necting the trunk, as already explained. -'lhe return movement of the movable part oi switch 8 rotates cam 65 witl'idrawing pawl 70 to engage the next succeeding spur of star wheel 73 and thuseffectually to register the succeeding call, if it .be a successful one. v T

in aconnection in which the telephone. line 1 is the called line, the meter is entirely disconnected'by the action of relay a6.

Ido not wish to limit myself in .all respects to the exact details shown and described; It is' evident that the meter itself and the method of applying it to the particular telephone system in question may be .lines; means for causing said selective considerably modified without departing from the pirit of my invention. It is also obvious that such a general type of motor as I have shown, and operating under the same general plan, might without further invention be applied to other telephone systems using automatic switches wherein the automatic selecting switch, either under the control of the calling subscriber orwit-hout his volition, serves to complete a preliminary step in the building upot a, circuit between two subscribers. v

What is claimed is:

1'; In a telephone system, the combination of a telephone line; a selective switch for said line; trunk lines terminating in, said switch; means for causing said selective switch to select automatically an idle trunk line; a meter connected with said selective switch; and electromagnetic means auto .mat-ically operating said meter by a single cnergization to register only: connections with other telephone lines.

2. in a telephone system, the combination of a telephone line; a selective switch for said line; trunk lines terminating in said switch and through which connections are adapted to be efiected with other telephone switch to select automatically an idle trunk lme; a meter connected with said selective switch; and means automatically operatii'ig said meter to register only those connections etl'ected through said trunk lines which are answered at the telephones of the called lines;

3, In a telephone system, the combination of a telephone line; a selective switchffor" said line; trunk lines terminating in said switch; means for causin' said selective switch. to select automaticaly an idletruiikline; a meter connected w th said selective switch; and means automatically operating said meter toregister only connections with other telephone lines and rendering said. meter inoperable to register more than once during the continuance ofany QI18COI1D6C tion.

.4. Ina telephone system, the ccnibination of a telephone line; trunk l1nes;.a selective switch for. the telephone line and at whichv said switch being the trunks terminate; adapted in operatiouto automatically select and connect trunk; a meter for said telephone line; and means associated with the selected trunk for controlling the operation of said meter.

5, In a telephone system, thecombination of a telephone line; a selective switch for said line; trunk lines terminating in said selective switch; means fo'r causing said selcctivc switch to select automatically an idle trunk line; an electromagnetic device connected with the. selected trunk line;and a meter for the telephone line adapted to be actuated consequent upon the operation of said electromagnetic device.

i 6. In a telephone system, the combination,

of a telephone line; a selective switch for said line; trunk lines terminating in said solective switch; means for causing said select- -ivc switch to select automatically an idle trunk line; a relay connected with the selected trunk line; and a meter. connected the telephone line to an idle with said selective switch and-adapted to be actuated consequent upon the energization of said relay.

7. In a telephone system, the combination or a telephone line; a selective switch for said line; trunk lines terminating insaid selective switch; means for causing said selective switch to select automatically an idle trunlrhne; a meter connected with 'Silld.

selective switch; another. telephone line ha ing; a substation telephone; means for corn nectnig said trunk with salt latter telephone line; and means for actuatingsaid meter upon the answering of a station upon letter telephone line.

8. in a telephone system, the combination of a. telephone line; a selective switch for.

said line; trunks terminating in said selective switch; mechanism and circuits for causing. said selective switch to connect an tomatictally said telephone line with an idle trunk; a meter pertaining to said telephone line; a relay in the selected trunk; circuits over which. said relay may when energized v-give actuating current to said meter; an-

othertelcphone line; a substationtelphone connected with said latter telephoue'line;

switching devices for connecting said. trunk to sa d latter telephone line;- and circuits 'fivhereby said relaywill be energized upon thelclosing ottheci rouit through saidsub- "station telephone.

'ln fa' telephone system, the combination o a tclcphonej'line; a selective-switch for d line; trunks terminating" in' said seicctiw switch; meansfor causing said selective switch to automatically select an idle trunk and connect said telephone line therewith; a meter connected ,to said selective switch and adapted to be actuated by-current received from the selected trunk; means in connection with said selected trunk adapt? ed to give actuating current" to actuate the meter in a predetermined manner to register the connection, said meter thereby rendering itself incapable of further registering action during the continuance of the connection.

10. In a telephone system, a telephone line;, an automatic switch connected with' said telephone line and ada ted to be moved by every call made by said inc; a cam upon a moving part of said automatic'switch; a pawl in operative connection with,saidcam; a counting train adaptedto be moved one,

part of a unit step'by said pawl; and another pawl electrically operated and adapted to move'said counting train the remaining portion of the unit step, substantially as described. 4

11. In a telephone system a telephone line; a selective switch for said telephone line; trunk lines terminating in said selective switch; means for causing said se-. lective switch to move'to select automatic-L ally an idle trunk line; a ,cam upon a moving part of said selective switch; a-pawl in;

operative connection with-saidcam; a countmg tram adapted to be moved one part of a unit step by said pawl; a relay connected electroinagnetically operated and. adaptedl upon actuation to move said. countm trainthrough the remaining part of theumt step; anelectromagnet tooperate said electromagnetically v operated pawl; and circuits by which said electromagnet will be energized.

consequent upon the energization of said re my, substantially as described. p

12. In a telephone system,. a telephone line; a selectiveswitch for-said line; trunk lines terminating in said selective switch;

means forv causing said selective switch to move to select automatically an'idle trunk line; a cam upon a moving part of said am r to'matic switch; a pawl'i-n operative connection with said cam; a counting train adapted to be moved one part of' a unit steplby said pawl a second awl electromagnetically operated and a apted to move said counting train the remaining part of the unit step; an electromagnet operating saidsecond .pawl; another telephone line having a substation telephone;- means for connectwith the selected trunk li'rle; another pawl ing the selected trunk with said latter teleelectromagnet upon the answeringof a substation telephone upon said latter telephone ling-substantially as described. Signed by me at Pittsburg, countyof Allegheny, State of'Pennsylvania, in the presence of two witnesses srD- EY HAND BROWNE. Witnesses-:-

w. Hing-Jr;

R. J. Ema-T phone line; and means for'energizing said. v 

